David Broder Analyzes the "Policy Approach"

In "Mr. Policy Hits a Wall" David Broder analyzes an article by William Schambra, a policy analyst, which I find quite interesting. Mr. Schambra's view:


"Schambra, like many others, was struck by the "sheer ambition" of Obama's legislative agenda and by his penchant for centralizing authority under a strong White House staff replete with many issue "czars."

Schambra sees this as evidence that "Obama is emphatically a 'policy approach' president. For him, governing means not just addressing discrete challenges as they arise, but formulating comprehensive policies aimed at giving large social systems -- and indeed society itself -- more rational and coherent forms and functions. In this view, the long-term, systemic problems of health care, education, and the environment cannot be solved in small pieces. They must be taken on in whole.""


This sounds like Totalitarianism to me! Things must change incrementally, or it IS totalitarianism!


Why won't it work for our society? His theory:


"Historically, that approach has not worked. The progressives failed to gain more than brief ascendancy and the Carter and Clinton presidencies were marked by striking policy failures. The reason, Schambra says, is that this highly rational, comprehensive approach fits uncomfortably with the Constitution, which apportions power among so many different players, most of whom are far more concerned with the particulars of policy than its overall coherence."


I disagree with his use of the term "highly rational" as their are many "highly rational" approaches to policy - progressive, libertarian, conservative, et al - each of who's proponents think their approach is "highly rational". So each four years we would have perhaps a new "totalitarian" approach which would lead to chaos!

I do not think it will work this time. An interesting read!